Stability In Key Areas (SIKA) – West / Monthly Report – August 2014

The program is led by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), in collaboration with Overseas Strategic Consulting Ltd (OSC) and International City/Country Management Association (ICMA). The program's primary objective is to assist provincial authorities and district-level government entities in improving government performance in the area of stabilization programming and providing priority basic services to increase citizen confidence in and support for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). The program is active in four provinces: Farah, Badghis, Herat, and Ghor, covering a total of 16 districts. The program's phased provincial rollout began in January 2012 and is expected to continue until August 2015. The program's 18-month extension period will see the addition of six new districts to the existing 10 target districts. The program's activities are focused on stabilization programming, communications programming, community development programming, governance programming, and gender mainstreaming. During the month of August 2014, 16 GIRoA-led Komite Sobate Woleswali meetings were held in all districts of operation, except for the Pashtun and Khak-e Safayd Districts, which were restricted due to security concerns. These meetings brought together District Government Line Departments, District Development Assembly (DDA) members, Community Development Council (CDC) members, District Social Workers (DSW), tribal leaders, religious scholars, and district officials to discuss and address local issues and challenges. The program's stabilization programming activities aim to improve government performance and provide priority basic services to increase citizen confidence in and support for the GIRoA. The program's communications programming activities focus on promoting the program's objectives and achievements through various media channels. The community development programming activities aim to improve the livelihoods of local communities through the provision of basic services and infrastructure development. The governance programming activities focus on strengthening the capacity of local government institutions and improving their ability to deliver services to the local population. The program's gender mainstreaming activities aim to promote gender equality and empower women in local communities. The program's monitoring and evaluation activities are designed to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The program's lessons learned section highlights the importance of community engagement and participation in the program's activities. The program's geographic focus is on the four provinces of Farah, Badghis, Herat, and Ghor, with a total of 16 districts. The program's timeframes are from January 2012 to August 2015, with an 18-month extension period. The program's recommendations focus on the importance of continued support for the program's activities and the need for further engagement with local communities and government institutions.